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Some books just seem to call to you: World-renowned but mysterious author Irena Rey lives within the Białowieża Forest in Poland. Whenever she finishes a new book, she summons her trusted translators for a top secret “summit” to translate her latest masterpiece into their various languages. During the most recent meeting, however, Irena seems slightly off and disappears a few days in, leaving the translators to unravel the mystery by themselves. Rarely have I encountered a book that seemed almost specifically written for me.
Within the fictional universe of this story, this book was written by one of the translators. We learn about this from Irena’s English translator in the rather ominously titled “Warning” section at the start. She informs us that the author took many liberties in how she represented the events of the story. Throughout the book, there are footnotes correcting or just commenting on the story as it was written by her translator colleague. If you like yourself a good unreliable narrator, boy is this a book for you.
The plot is quite intriguing, although because we’re so explicitly told not to trust the author, you end up becoming a bit paranoid here and there–which is, of course, in and of itself an interesting experience.
The translators are at the centre of the plot, and I was really impressed by how well they were all written. At first, they only address each other by the names of their languages (“English,” “French,” “German”…), which I loved, but later on they reveal their real names to each other. They get themselves into some rather strange situations, and the almost religious relationship they have to Irena Rey is bizarre in the best possible way.
This book is very funny, but also deliciously brainy. If you love languages as much as I do, the many linguistic riffs, quips, and asides are sure to delight you. “The Extinction of Irena Rey” is a well-crafted, witty book filled with fascinating titbits, in particular about the Białowieża forest. It was one of my favourite novels of 2024 and I recommend it to anyone looking for a slightly more unique read.
just thoughts 